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Trip: BULLEN! - via Squire Creek/Bullen Lakes Trip Date: 06/01/2025 Trip Report: "I felt as if we had joined Sisyphus and his rock in Hell." - HERMANN F. ULRICHS on first ascent of Mount Bullen I mean, who hasn't read the passage above in the Green CAG and decided that they just had to climb Mount BULLEN? Or, maybe I should ask, "Who has?" No matter, @sepultura and @therunningdog were not asking many questions, and that was a good thing for me, since otherwise I am pretty sure we would have diverted to a more "normal" destination on Memorial Day weekend. And by "normal" I mean a mountain with more than one TR on the internet. Which means, after this TR, BULLEN will be officially "normal". Glad we got that all squared away for the masses sure to descend this summer As it was, we didn't see another soul the entire way in or out of the mountains, not on the Squire Creek trail and certainly not in the brush. But we did find several routefinding challenges on the timbered rib above Squire Creek to keep us entertained. And some head scratching to get from the ridge down to Bullen lakes. And some wandering and wondering to find a suitable campsite. But this is what we came for, right? Right guys? I won't spoil the adventure for you, and smooth out the rough edges of your trip to Mount BULLEN!, don't worry. But just know that you can do it without a rope! Which is good, since we didn't have one. Sometimes the crux of these North Cascades blue collar adventures isn't above treeline. But what BULLEN! lacks in technical climbing it makes up for in ...uhhhh... fun? Just make sure you go with partners as entertaining as I had. If you play your cards right, you'll laugh, you'll drink some whiskey, you'll banter like old times, you'll marvel at your luck finding such solitude on a busy holiday weekend, and you'll come out to toast your success at the Red Top. Because, is there any more to the Chossdawg life? @sepultura and @therunningdog on the Squire Creek Trail. Let the good times roll!: It is important to get in touch with your feminine side before caressing the choss: We were pretty excited when the snow covered the brush: Then less excited when our feet began to squish: The prominent couloir on the left is the ticket in early season, or so it seemed to us. We camped on these large boulders near Bullen Lakes: @therunningdog on an interesting section rounding the south shore of Bullen lakes. @sepultura does his best to stare down BULLEN!: We paused to watched this avalanche roar down the North side of the North Finger of Three Fingers: Dakobed and Pugh: SE to the headwaters of the South Fork Stillaguamish and the Monte Cristo Range: Whitechuck, and our tracks coming up and over from Squire Creek: @sepultura eyeing the last bit to the summit. No brush, no problem!: Cumbre!: Three of the OG Choss Dog Millionaires on the summit of BULLEN!: Heading down: @therunningdog is always ready for his glamour shotz: @sepultura prefers his to be action shotz: Suffer together!: If you climb BULLEN! you really must celebrate at the Red Top in Darrington. To do otherwise is just poor form: I'll get some captions in later this week.... Gear Notes: ice axe, crampons, leather garden gloves, helmet (though we opted not to) Approach Notes: Squire Creek for awhile and then follow your choss urges upwards and then downwards to Bullen Lakes, then around the lakes to the south, and then up. Retrace your steps back to the car, since you won't figure a better way most likely than they way your choss urges guided you in originally. It seemed better in snow, but I'm sure without snow would feel more blue collar.

Trip: Mixup Peak - East route Trip Date: 06/10/2025 Trip Report: First day of summer break was yesterday for me. What I’ve learned from summer breaks is they pass fast, can’t just sit around. I’ve got a lot of things to get to but figured I’d set myself a standard by getting out the first day, even if my partners were busy. Spent Monday night at graduation for the old seniors and the mounties gear grab so got home at 9:30 and talked to my parents. Originally wanted to do an overnighter and bag magic too but couldn’t take a car on wednesday so I settled on just mix-up. Slept through my alarm by 30 minutes but was driving by 3:30 and and at the TH by 6. Later than I would’ve liked but wasn’t gonna do anything better with my day so figured I may as well give it a shot. Biked up the road in an hour and tossed it in the alder. 2 hours later I was at cascade pass with a lot of cobwebs in my face. Followed some goat tracks on the traverse over the cliffs and was soon moving up towards the U notch. There was one old track continuing to cache col but nothing super fresh. The gully towards the U notch was more melted out than I’d seen in any photos. Brought two ice axes and was glad to have em. Very doable with one tbh but if snow conditions were harder I would’ve definitely wanted both. Traversed around to the V notch and made a few 5th class moves before being on steep 4th class until I gained the hump. Was glad I brought a rope to rappel that. From here I was onto the slabby ledges and had a fun time working my way up. The summit was intimidating but I found a low 5th path onto the ridge. The final move pulling onto the ridge was steep and airy but I felt confident in my holds so took a lil breath and everything was okay. Summited around 12:30 and was very glad to see some rappel anchors with fresh-ish tat. Summit register was full but of the few random pages I flicked through, I found Jeff Wright, Fred Beckey, Martin Volken, and most notably, my freshman science teacher. Took a photo and he was pleased to see my find. Enjoyed the summit until 1 and then figured It was time to get off that god forsaken rock. Ooh but the views were pretty cool. First time looking at the middle cascade glacier, I could even see all the way out to dome. Gotta do the ptarmigan this summer I guess. Anyways, a couple rappels brought me off the summit block, then a lot of down scrambling, then 1 more to the V notch by 2:00. Wrapped around to the U notch and made a rappel down through the top section since there was an anchor already there. Was also this insane cornice thingy that seemed to be precariously balanced. Tried to stay off to the side because I didn’t wanna get killed by some goofy looking snow glob. Once at the bottom of the gully, it was a nice stroll with good views back to cascade pass. Saw a group of four goats at cascade pass which kinda scared me. 1 idiot teenager vs 4 mountain goats, I don't think the odds were in my favor. Lucky for me they ran up towards Sahale as I was taking off my crampons so it was a nice pleasant walk to the pass, where I arrived around 3:30. Saw my first humans of the day as a party was finishing the hike towards cascade pass and headed towards Glacier camp on Sahale. A nice stroll down the trail got me to my bike at 5, and by 5:15 I was at my car. I buzzed a hiker too fast on my bike which he was very unhappy about at first but then we made up and he turned out to be a reasonable guy. A bell on my bike might not hurt. Usually its cars buzzing bikers so was funny to be bikers buzzing hikers. Anyways, Twas’ my bad and we seemed to make up for it. I learned from it. Heres da photos for the populace Gear Notes: Rope nice for rappels. Crampons 'n axe ofc Approach Notes: aint so bad. Just walk n keep walking

Transition between glaciers was just a steep lil snow step. Doable, just annoying. Had to take ski's off for it but still snow-covered when we did it. klawatti wasn't fully skiable(photo below)

Yeah that was a great trip guys. Classic Choss Dog Millionaires! It’s important to realize that you can still have lots of remote flavor in the Cascades and not be that far from the road, but with that said it’s certainly a chore getting into BULLEN. Seems like good potential for Repulsive 69 list- lots of Brush, Wet Slabs, Loose rock, Steep snow with dirty moat moves, and uncertain creek crossings. What’s not to love on a JG trip? I see the glorious line in picture 7! Forget the Internet, FB, Trip reports and Gaia tracks, pick up the Beckey Guide and find yourself an adventure.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14792543/amp/Michelino-Sunseri-Grand-Teton-national-park-mountain-strava-court-trial.html 😂😂. Damn imagine getting cited for cutting a switchback based on your Strava track!

I just want them to arrest and incarcerate people who cut in line during my commute home from work. String them up, tar and feathers.

Stellar wordsmithing! 😂 https://amp.bellinghamherald.com/news/state/washington/article307907125.html dang, Helena!

Trip: Mount Wow - Via Lake Allen Trip Date: 06/02/2025 Trip Report: Climbed Mount Wow with Dwayner today. Very enjoyable hike to Lake Allen up the very steep boot path, then mostly snow to the short ledge. Bare there and above. Flowers are starting to show everywhere the snow isn't hanging around. About 4000' gain/loss in only about 6 1/2 miles round trip. Steep. Gear Notes: Mountain boots still helpful. Ice axe too. Approach Notes: It's a boot path to the lake.

I climbed Mt. Rainier in September 1969 with Phursumba as one of our guides. He was newly arrived at Rainier Mountaineering, as I recall. I worked at the front desk of Paradise Inn and lived in a dorm nearby so I was used to the altitude. I was in college, and other employees and I used to go up to Camp Muir every now and then. Phursumba was a bit of a hit with the girls who worked at Paradise, he was tall, handsome, kind and sweet. He made many summit ascents leading climbers. The day we employees climbed I don't remember any other climbing parties. It seemed we had the mountain to ourselves. We slept at Camp Muir and rose at 2:30 a.m. because we needed to be on the summit by 12 noon. This was to avoid avalanche danger from the warmth of the afternoon sun. Phursumba went up the mountain with ease. For me, it was the most strenuous thing I've ever done, but so worth it. Thanks to Phursumba and the other wonderful guides.

Nice trip! I've been wondering what that area bounded by Easy Ridge, the Pickets, and Triumph is like, and your photos make me want to go tag Despair. I'm jealous of your clear skies, and your zoom lens -- you must have been carrying some serious glass. PS -- Be a cheap bastard. It's only another 7 miles ;-).